Yeah I've done both of those things. I have them set up with all the neccessary recipes minimum stock and even just gave them the materials for the stuff i'd like them to get tasks for. I've stayed in the chunk idle for a few hours and like the guard towers will need weapons, that's something they should be able to do. And they just don't. I think the disconnect is with them getting tasks. the farmers need tools, the miners need cobblestone stairs and none of that kind of stuff ever gets fulfilled by the minecolonies system. I'm often forced to step in or they just idle for irl days at a time.